‘Trainspotting’ Author Irvine Welsh Wants Donald Trump to Watch and Publicly Condemn the Sequel
Donald Trump made headlines in January for holding a screening of “Finding Dory” at the White House, but if “Trainspotting” author Irvine Welsh had his way, the President would be screening a far more controversial title. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Welsh goes on record saying he wants Trump not only to see “T2: Trainspotting,” but to also condemn the movie publicly (probably in one of his notorious Twitter rants).
“There’s two things you want whether you do a film or a book,” Welsh said. “You want the approval of cool people and the condemnation of an asshole. The condemnation of a prominent asshole is absolutely fantastic.”
Welsh recalls the response to the original film’s U.S. release in 1996. Bob Dole, who was the Republican nominee against Bill Clinton in the Presidential race, bolstered awareness around the movie after he crusaded against it, declaring that it “glorified heroin.” Dole had not even seen the film, but he fought against its release as part of his anti-drug campaign. Of course, Dole would go on to lose the election and “Trainspotting” would gross $16 million and become an instant cult classic.
Could Trump do the same for the sequel? That’s certainly what Welsh is asking for. “[Bob Dole] was a great thing for us, because that’s what you want,” he told THR. “Donald Trump would be the ideal guy to come along and say, ‘I hate this movie.’ But there must be someone. I keep hoping Mike Pence sees it by accident and comments on it. But right-wing politicians never get suckered as much as they used to.”
“T2: Trainspotting” reunites director Danny Boyle with the original cast, including Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Kelly Macdonald, Robert Carlyle, James Cosmo and Shirley Henderson. The film opens in theaters this Friday, March 17.
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